This invention relates to an apparatus and method for directing and cushioning a plurality of items conveyed from an elevated source into a piling area beneath the elevated source. More specifically, the invention relates to an apparatus and method for directing and cushioning ellipsoidal items, particularly potatoes, which may be damaged or bruised when dropped from an elevated source into a pile beneath that elevated source.
Commercial processes for harvesting potatoes are well known. In a typical practice, potatoes are removed from the earth by a mechanized harvester and travel on conveying means associated with the harvester to an elevated source, like, for example, a potato harvester boom, and are then dropped from the elevated source and piled into means for transporting, the means for transporting frequently being a truck having a bed with a conveyor system therein. After being first piled into the truck""s bed, potatoes may then be transported to either a storage or processing site, the storage site frequently being a potato cellar. After arrival at the cellar, the potatoes are typically conveyed from said means for transporting into a hopper of a potato piling mechanism. The potato piling mechanism often comprises of a series of connected hoppers and conveying means which collect and transport the potatoes to a terminal end where the potatoes drop from the potato piling mechanism and fall into a pile below. Potatoes may accordingly be piled and re-piled during harvest, transportation, storage and ultimate processing for consumption.
A potato dropped from a height into a pile below may be bruised and damaged, with the likelihood and extent of damage based on various factors. These factors include, among others, the kinetic energy the potato attains as it is dropped, the force with which the potato strikes the pile into which it is dropped, the number of times the potato is dropped and the force and energy the potato absorbs when other potatoes strike it. Bruising not only adversely impacts the aesthetic appearance of affected potatoes and potentially the market price thereof, it can, among other adverse consequences, result in increased storage loss, increased trim loss and reduced quality of final product. Reduction of bruising and related damage during harvest, transportation, storage and ultimate processing for consumption is accordingly a matter of significant importance in the commercial potato industry.
Various inventions to reduce potato bruising and damage have accordingly been proposed. Most involve rather complicated means for modifying the elevation of the elevated source or the invention itself. In addition, other art, particularly art from outside the potato processing field, teaches some general structural and operational features of the present invention. While various devices include some of the general structural and operational features of the instant invention, however, no previously known device includes the overall structural and functional features of the instant invention.
These overall structural and functional features promote efficiency, simplicity and ease of operation and allow the present invention to detachably connect with an elevated source to reduce bruising, and to facilitate a greater degree of precision and operator control in piling items dropped from said elevated source to a piling area below said source. No previously known device teaches the directing and cushioning element of the present invention with its particular plurality of resilient, curved fingers or the particular combination of said plurality""s shape, composition, arrangement, manner of disposition and manner of integration with other parts of the apparatus. This functional combination produces a durable, efficient and comparatively simple apparatus capable of gently contacting items falling from said elevated source, absorbing kinetic energy from said items, reducing the velocity thereof and directing said items to a modified path further from vertical than an unmodified path the items would take absent contact with the fingers. Neither does any previously known invention contain the combination of the foregoing features with means for selectively pivoting said directing and cushioning element about an axis available in various embodiments of the present invention.
It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus for directing and cushioning a plurality of items conveyed from an elevated source into a piling area beneath said elevated source. More specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus for directing and cushioning ellipsoidal items, particularly potatoes, which may be damaged or bruised when dropped from an elevated source into a pile beneath that elevated source. The apparatus comprises: a flame, the frame being operatively connected to the source; an arm, the arm being operatively connected to said frame at a first connection area; and a directing and cushioning element operatively connected to the arm at a second connection area by means for attaching, the directing and cushioning element comprising: (1) a bracket member; and (2) a plurality of resilient, curved fingers operatively connected to the bracket member by means for affixing, each finger among the plurality of fingers being displaced with at least a portion thereof beneath an initial drop area at an operator-controlled, predetermined distance and at an operator-controlled, predetermined, non-vertical angle. In various preferred embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for selectively pivoting said arm around said first connection area with said frame.
Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus in accordance with the preceding paragraph wherein said plurality of resilient, curved fingers are capable of gently contacting items among a plurality of items falling from said elevated source, thereby absorbing kinetic energy from said items, reducing velocity of said items and directing said items to a modified path further from vertical than an unmodified path said items would take absent contact with said fingers.
Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus in accordance with the preceding paragraphs wherein said plurality of fingers"" shape, composition, arrangement, manner of disposition and manner of integration with other parts of the apparatus facilitate the contacting, absorbing, reducing and directing functions of the previous paragraph without significant need for energy input from an external source.
Another object of certain preferred embodiments of this invention is to provide both a structure and means for selectively pivoting said directing and cushioning element around an axis and to thereby provide an operator a greater degree control and precision in directing the items as said items drop from said source into a piling area beneath said source.
Another object of this invention is to provide the ease, convenience, flexibility and cost savings of an apparatus which is easily detached from a first elevated source and attached to a second elevated source without significant impact or damage to either source and without undue expenditure of time or effort.
Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus and method in accordance with the preceding objects which is capable of reducing damage and bruising to a potato and assisting in the directing and cushioning of a potato conveyed from an elevated source into a piling area beneath said elevated source even absent associated means for modifying the elevation of said elevated source or the apparatus itself.
Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus in accordance with the preceding objects which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of comparatively simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, durable and relatively free of trouble in operation.
These together with the other objects and advantages of the invention which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.